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Identifying Oxidation-Reduction Reactions (REDOX Reactions) in Biological Chemical
Reactions
Janzen Clarisse C. Estimada

STEM 12-A
General Biology I
Mrs. Irene C. Dy
November 26, 2022

The Oxidation-Reduction Reaction (REDOX Reaction) is a chemical reaction that involves
the transfer of electrons, which involves its gaining and loss in a molecule or compound. It is
significant in biological chemical reactions that happen in our body, as well as the reactions that
take place in the environment, for a balance to be sustained and maintained. In the human body,
REDOX reactions take place between chemicals that we take and those that are already inside
to maintain homeostasis and for our body parts to function. It is a vital component for a human
being to continue living.
Energy is essential for the human body as it enables the organs to function and do their
duties. Without it, humans would not be capable of surviving as the organs start to deteriorate
since it needs specific molecules for them to function properly. For this, the First Law of
Thermodynamics is directly related as it states the Law of Conservation of Energy — this means
that the energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can be transferred and transformed. The
ability of the cell to acquire energy in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate, otherwise known as
ATP, through breaking down carbohydrates, specifically glucose, is Cellular Respiration. It is one
of the processes that utilize the REDOX reaction, wherein glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2)
are converted to produce carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and ATP.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 — CO2 + 6H2O + ATP
In the REDOX reaction, there are four components that should be observed, namely the
reducing agent, oxidizing agent, reduced form, and oxidized form. The reducing agent is the
chemical in which electrons are reduced and oxidized in the reaction and the oxidizing agent is
the one in which electrons are gained, therefore reduced in the reaction. The oxidized form
however is the molecule that lacks an electron and the reduced form is the molecule that gained
the electron. In the above equation, oxygen is the reducing agent as it receives electrons from
the sugar and the sugar is the reducing agent as it is the one that gives electrons to the oxygen.
The oxidized form is carbon dioxide and the oxidized form is water.
Another example would be the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide or NAD. It is mainly
used in cellular respiration for energy to be acquired which happens in the first, second, and third
stages, which are the Glycolysis, Citric Acid Cycle or Kreb’s Cycle, and the Electron Transport
Chain. It is a REDOX cofactor wherein it functions as a carrier of electron pairs. It has many forms,
including NADH, NAD+, NADP+, NADH, etc. Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide + Hydrogen or
NADH is a cofactor of NAD, alongside the other molecule that is gained from the reaction which
is the Hydrogen, which is the reduced form of NAD+ and 2H.
NAD + + 2H → NADH + H +
In the above equation, NAD+ is the oxidized agent and NADH is the reduced agent as it
gained one electron and one hydrogen. The second hydrogen is oxidized to H+ due to the loss of
electrons. The citric acid cycle is the primary source of NADH in oxidative metabolism. When
NADH donates its electrons to the first component of the electron transport chain, it is reoxidized
to NAD+ (ETC). These electrons eventually reduce molecular oxygen. Additionally, these are also
essential in catabolic processes such as glycolysis to form ATP and oxidative phosphorylation,
which are connected to the energy of living things, known as the ATP or Adenosine Triphosphate
to produce cofactors such as Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP) for active transport and such, and
Adenosine Monophosphate (AMP), which is one of the components of Ribonucleic Acid (RNA),
which are significant to life.
Oxidation and Reduction Reactions are not only essential in our environment, such as the
non-organic matter that happens everywhere for it to create and stabilize things around us. It is
also important especially in living things, such as plants to generate their food in the form of
photosynthesis, and in humans to generate energy to continue to survive and live. This reaction
provided beneficial things that would be so important for chemicals to work properly in an organic
way, which is intriguing as if everything in the world has been governed by it. The importance of
REDOX reaction should not be ignored as it is one of the things that assist in generating life to
produce energy and food, which happens in the microscopical world (such as in cellular vision)
that is too obscure for the naked eye.

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Identifying Oxidation-Reduction Reactions (REDOX Reactions) in Biological Chemical

Janzen Clarisse C. Estimada

November 26, 2022

being to continue living.

C6H12O6 + 6O2 — CO2 + 6H2O + ATP

Another example would be the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide or NAD. It is mainly

is the Hydrogen, which is the reduced form of NAD+ and 2H.

which are significant to life.

that is too obscure for the naked eye.

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